


The Valiant Knight and the Noble Prince

by henryhart



Category: Henry Danger (TV), Knight Squad (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Crossover, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, M/M, fairytale
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-19
Updated: 2019-04-10
Packaged: 2019-10-31 08:07:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17845616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/henryhart/pseuds/henryhart
Summary: (Okay, I know I have it tagged as Major Character Death but I'm not sure if it counts or not but just in case.)  Long ago, the quiet kingdom of Swellville was ruled by a cruel sorcerer. The sorcerer was eventually overthrown by a seemingly *indestructible* Valiant Knight and was banished to the woods, never to return again. The kingdom tried to appoint their valiant savior as their new ruler, but he vanished after the battle. So, a humble and brave couple was appointed king and queen. Now, in the present day, their son, Henry is about to turn seventeen and once he does, he will take the crown. How will Henry handle being king? What happened to the Valiant Knight? Or the powerful sorcerer? Read on to find out...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so, some of you may know that I did have a story extremely similar to this, but I decided to delete it and rewrite it for two reasons. 1) I got some brand new and (I believe) better ideas for it that required me to change the beginning and 2) thanks to the episode Knight & Danger I realized that the Knight Squad would fit in perfectly with this setting and I adore that show so I wanted to be able to include them. I'm not a huge fan of these first few chapters because I have to set everything up first and I think it gets kinda boring and maybe a little too fast paced but I'm asking you guys to please just bear with me. I have a lot of ideas for this fic that I'm really excited about and I hope you guys like them too. Also, it is going to be a Knight Squad crossover, as I mentioned, but I have to set some stuff up with the HD characters first so I won't be able to include them until maybe chapter 3 or 4, but they WILL show up, I promise. Let me know what you think of this, good or bad! I crave that validation and constructive criticism.

Long ago, in the quiet kingdom of Swellville, there lived a wicked and powerful sorcerer. He ruled over the people with an iron fist, and he treated most of his subjects like slaves while he hoarded most of the kingdom’s resources and wealth for himself. Many brave souls tried to challenge his reign, but none lived to tell the tale. 

After years of living in extreme squalor, one young, gallant couple decided enough was enough. They conspired with the people of Swellville to start an uprising. They convinced the people to join them, and they even got the neighboring kingdoms of Borderith and Astoria to assist them as well. 

The morning of the revolution arrived, and the townspeople, along with brave knights from the adjacent kingdoms began to storm the castle. The battle raged on for several days and nights, with no end in sight. The army of rebels fought with vigor and valor, but it was not enough against the sorcerer’s immense power. Many of their lives were lost. Things were starting to seem hopeless, and what remained of the army was growing tired and wary. 

Just when it looked like they had all but lost the war, a fearless and valiant knight stormed into the battle. He was able to survive every one of the sorcerer’s spells, even the ones that would’ve killed any mortal man. It was almost as if he was... _ invincible _ . The battle between the two raged on for what felt like days. Finally, the knight was able to defeat the sorcerer and the sorcerer was banished to the woods, never to return to Swellville again.

Swellville, now without a ruler, searched to find a suitable replacement. They wanted to appoint the valiant knight that had saved them, but before they could, he vanished. So, the couple that first proposed the uprising was appointed. The couple was kind, just, and fair; perfect candidates for Swellville’s new rulers. However, the kingdom was in ruin from the battle and the sorcerer’s long reign of terror. The couple worked tirelessly to return peace and balance to their kingdom, and their allies in the battle, the kingdom’s of Borderith and Astoria, became their closest partners and aided them in rebuilding the kingdom. Despite this, the job proved far too great for them to impose any real change in the short-term. Even in the present day, they are still working to restore what was once a great kingdom. Now, the couple’s eldest son, Henry, is about to turn seventeen and on his birthday, will be taking the crown. And thus, our story begins… 


	2. Chapter 2

“What do you think of this place setting, dear?” Queen Siren asked her son, Henry, as she pointed to a set of dinnerware placed out in front of her. Siren and her young daughter, Piper, were circling around an oblong dining room table admiring different formal place settings that had been laid out for them to choose from, while Henry was slouched in a chair at the head of the table, staring off into space. He had been lost in a daydream and completely missed his mother’s question.

“Henry? Darling?” Siren repeated softly. Henry snapped out of his train of thought as he turned to face his mother.

“I’m sorry?” he said, furrowing his eyebrows and sitting up. Siren took a deep breath, clearly a little annoyed that Henry hadn’t been paying attention, but she did her best to hide it as she plastered on a fake smile.

“The place setting. What do you think of it for your coronation?”

Henry glanced at the one she had pointed to and dismissively waved his hand.

“That’s fine. Whatever you guys think.”  

Siren could feel her patience wearing thin, and she put a little less effort into hiding her annoyance this time.

“This one will be perfect,” the queen said to one of the royal event planners that had been standing back a little as she waited for the royal family to make their selection.

“Alright,” Siren said to Henry now, a biting tone to her voice, “now the menu.”

Henry groaned as he slumped down into his chair again.

“Mother, we’ve been doing this for  _hours_. My coronation isn’t for another month, can we please take a break?”

Siren clicked her tongue as she crossed her arms over her chest.

“I realize that, but we still have a lot to do. It takes a lot of planning to put an event together like this, you know.”

Henry rolled his eyes but remained silent. Siren started discussing different menu options with her two children, but Henry tuned her out as he got lost in thought again. In all honesty, he would rather be anywhere but here. He didn’t like being reminded of his impending coronation. He knew for a fact that he was not cut out to be king. He had been watching his parents lead (and by his parents, he mainly means his mother) since he was just a young boy and he knew he would never be able to live up to her legacy. On top of that, the kingdom was trying to rebuild after the epic battle with the sorcerer, and Henry wasn’t sure he was the right person to take over such a considerable task. He tried to focus his mind on other things while his mother continued to drone on about something or other pertaining to his coronation party. His mind immediately went to the same place it had been going for the past several weeks; to the boy in the blacksmith’s shop. He was abruptly dragged out his daydream once again as he felt someone sit down next to him.

“What are you thinking about?” his little sister Piper asked quietly enough so their mother wouldn’t overhear. Henry noticed that the queen was now standing on the other side of the room with the event planner, going over something on the planner’s clipboard.

“Uhh…nothing. Why?” Henry answered hastily, hoping his sister wouldn’t press the issue.

“Because you had the goofiest smile on your face,” Piper responded in a mocking tone, “You looked  _so_  stupid.”

Henry frowned a little as he stood up.

“Whatever. I’m going to the marketplace for a little while,” he announced to the room. Siren and the black-haired woman next to her stopped their conversation to look at him.

“Henry, we’re in the middle of something here,” his mother said, her tone sharp. Henry just rolled his eyes.

“You know I don’t care about this stuff. Besides, I trust you and Piper. Just go with whatever you think is best.”

His mother sighed heavily but she knew to try to argue with him would futile. He had been resistant to planning this coronation from the very beginning.

“Fine, but be back by dinner time. And don’t forget, you and Piper have your fitting tomorrow. Don’t think you’re going to get out of that one,” Siren replied, her expression serious.

“Yes, ma’am,” Henry responded in a defeated tone as he started towards the door. He took a huge sigh of relief once he was out of the room. He was thankful he was going to get a few hours away from the coronation planning, and butterflies formed in his stomach as he thought about exactly where he wanted to go.   

* * *

The marketplace was hustling and bustling with shopkeepers manning their booths trying to pull in customers and customers hurriedly making their way from place to place. A few kids playing various games were running at full speed, weaving their way through the thick crowds. Henry smiled to himself for a moment as he watched them. The marketplace smelled of cinnamon and sweets from the nearby bakery. Henry strolled along as he took in the various sights and smells. As he passed a booth with various jewelry, he noticed a young girl no older than eight or nine in a ratty dress and no shoes eyeing a pretty necklace hanging in the middle of the jewelry display. He made his way over to her and knelt down beside her so they were at the same level.

“Hi, sweetheart! What’s your name?” he asked.

“Lucy,” she answered without taking her eyes off the necklace.

“It’s nice to meet you, Lucy. I’m Henry,” he responded. “Which necklace are you looking at?” She pointed to a silver necklace shaped like a heart with a blue jewel in the middle. “Wow, that’s very pretty! Would you like to have it?”

The girl frowned as a longing look flashed in her eyes.

“Yes, but my family cannot afford it,” she answered wistfully. Henry just grinned as he stood up.

“That’s okay. I can,” he said as he picked up the necklace. The girl finally looked up at him, a puzzled expression etched across her face. Henry pulled a few gold pieces out of his pocket and handed it to the shopkeeper.

“Keep the change,” Henry said as he smiled. “Thank you, your majesty,” the shopkeeper responded gratefully. Henry then turned and handed the necklace to the little girl. The little girl’s face lit up like a Christmas tree.

“Oh, thank you!” she exclaimed as she threw her arms around his waist. Henry chuckled.

“You’re welcome! And here. Just in case you happen to find a nice bracelet to match,” Henry said as he handed her more gold pieces. A wide smile spread across the girl’s face as she beamed up at him.

“Thank you, sir!” she said before running off calling to her parents about the pretty necklace the nice man bought her. Before he was out of earshot Henry could hear the mother saying “Honey, that’s the prince,” and Henry couldn’t help but smile to himself a little. He continued to stroll through the marketplace, stopping at almost every booth to buy at least one thing from each. Once Henry had visited every booth, he decided to visit the same place he had been visiting every day for almost a month. He opened the door into the blacksmith’s shop, where the only light source was a roaring fire that was currently being used to heat various metals. On the opposite side of the room, metallic weapons of various sorts were on display. A young boy around Henry’s age was working near the fireplace, and he looked up when he heard the door open. Even though his eyes looked tired from working for so long, his face still lit up at the sight of the prince.

“You’re back,” he said as he subtly tried to wipe the sweat off his forehead. A piece of his light brunette hair flopped down in front of his eyes, and Henry thought his heart might beat out of his chest. He took a few steps forward as he sheepishly grinned.

“Yeah. I uhh…hope that’s okay,” he stuttered out.

“Of course it is. You’re always welcome here.”

Henry could feel the heat rising to his cheeks and he was hoping that the room was dark enough that the boy wouldn’t notice.

“Thanks, Jasper,” he responded. Jasper grinned as he grabbed a broom and started to clean up. Henry had met Jasper a few weeks ago when he stumbled into the shop one day, and he had been enchanted by him ever since. He had decided impulsively to commission a sword from him, even though he had never picked up a sword in his life and he had no idea how to wield one or if he would ever really need too. It became their routine that Henry would visit him at some point in the day, under the guise that he was just checking to see the progress of his sword. Little did Henry know, Jasper was taking much longer than he normally would to finish it because he enjoyed having Henry stop by just as much as Henry enjoyed being there.

Henry sat down at the same table he always sat down at on the left side of the room. They remained silent for a while, with Jasper sweeping up the shop and Henry staring off into the distance, lost in thought. After a while, Jasper started to notice that Henry was being uncharacteristically quiet, and he looked up to see that the prince had a wary expression on his face. He stopped sweeping for a second and called out to him.

“Henry?”

Nothing. The boy didn’t seem to notice that Jasper had said anything at all. Jasper’s forehead furrowed as he leaned against the broom.

“Henry!” he called out again, a little louder this time. Henry snapped out of his train of thought and looked up at Jasper with a puzzled expression.

“Huh?”

“What’s going on? You seem like you’re a million miles away today,” Jasper asked. He leaned the broom against the wall closest to him and then went to sit down across from Henry. Henry began to run his fingers over a nick in the table as he sighed.

“It’s nothing.”

Jasper crossed his arms on the table in front of him as he leaned in closer.

“Penny for your thoughts?” he said with a lopsided smile. Henry glanced up and met Jasper’s gaze. His blue eyes were sparkling in the orange glow of the firelight and for a second Henry forgot what he was worried about.

“It’s just my coronation. It’s approaching so quickly. I don’t think I’m ready for any of this,” Henry said as he stood up and ran his fingers through his hair. Jasper tried to focus on what Henry was saying instead of how adorable he looked when he did that. Jasper opened his mouth to speak but Henry cut him off.

“I just need to forget all this stuff for a while. Just go somewhere where I’m not reminded every ten seconds about the coronation or the planning or my birthday. Someplace quiet.”

Henry looked down at the floor as he began to pace. Jasper waited for a second to see if Henry was finished was talking, and once he assumed that he was, he held up his finger and opened his mouth to speak again.

“What are you doing tonight?” Henry asked before Jasper had a chance to make a sound. Jasper just shut his mouth as she placed his hands down on the table.

“Nothing,” he said simply.

“Ever heard of the pixie crystal river?”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, chapter 2! You guys will learn a little bit more about Ray’s place in this universe. Schwoz will be included too, but he isn’t going to be included for a long while. I have a very specific role for him, but a lot needs to happen first before he can be introduced. Also, this is gonna be a Knight Squad crossover, but I think I’m gonna do it like the HD/KS crossover where they will be included, but they won’t play a huge part. I love them to death, but I already have a lot of events planned with the HD crew and I’m worried doing KS subplots will just get to be too much. Also, I’m not happy with the first like threeish chapters because I have to take time to set things up, but I’m planning by at least the fourth chapter to finally have some action and finally start delving into the main plot. Finally, you guys are gonna get a HUGE hint at the identity of the sorcerer. Let me know what you think of this chapter, good or bad! And I hope you enjoy!

That night after Henry’s parents had retired to their room, Henry started tiptoeing down the hallway from his room to the grand staircase. He had made it down the hallway and past the stairs and was halfway through the foyer before he suddenly froze. 

Except, it wasn’t on purpose. 

He tried and tried to take a step forward, but it was as if his boots were glued to the floor. Before he had time to panic, he heard a familiar voice approach him from behind. 

“Well, well, well. Look what we have here,” the voice said in a sinister tone. Henry let out a deep sigh as he rolled his eyes. 

“Piper, what have I told you about using your magic on me?” 

Piper ignored her older brother as she circled around to face him. 

“And where do you think you’re going?” she asked. Henry plastered on his best fake smile as he tried to erase any hint of annoyance in his voice hoping that if he was nice enough, his sister would let him go. (Although, he knew deep down that that would never be the case.) 

“Nowhere,” he replied. Piper raised one eyebrow as she stared down her sibling, obviously unconvinced. “Just thought I would take a little stroll around the yard. Get some fresh air. That’s all,” Henry continued, feigning innocence. A malevolent smile spread across Piper’s lips.

“C’mon, Henry. Do you really expect me to buy that? You’re sneaking out to meet that boy again, aren’t you? That...that _ commoner _ ?” Piper interrogated, a hint of disgust in her voice at the word commoner. 

“Don’t talk about him like that!” Henry spat. Piper furrowed her eyebrows a little at her brother’s sudden defensiveness. She knew he was getting close to this boy, but his attitude led her to believe that he might be getting a little closer than she originally suspected. 

“So? Is that where you’re going?” Piper questioned. Henry exhaled sharply. 

“Yes,” he answered through gritted teeth. Piper’s wicked smile immediately returned. She raised a hand and started inspecting her nails as she circled around Henry who was still frozen in place. 

“How do you think Mom and Dad would feel about you sneaking out to meet some commoner you barely know at this hour?” 

Henry pursed his lips a little as he shot daggers at his sister when she had finally circled around to face him again. 

“What do you want?” he asked begrudgingly. It was Piper’s turn to feign innocence. She put on her sweetest smile as she met Henry’s gaze. 

“Oh, nothing much. It’s just...you’ll be king soon,” she started. Henry felt a knot begin to form in his stomach. “Why don’t we just say for now that you owe me a favor?” 

“Oh, no way! Why can’t I just do your chores or something?” Henry countered. Piper clicked her tongue as she shook her head.

“Favor or it’s no deal. I’ll just have to go tell Mom and Dad.” 

“Piper, there is  _ no way  _ I’m agreeing to this.” 

“Fine by me. MOM!” Piper started screaming but Henry cut her off, quickly shushing her.  

“Alright! Deal.”

As uneasy as it made Henry feel, the only thing that made Henry feel more anxious was having to face a furious Siren. Although, judging by the devious and satisfied look that was now plastered on Piper’s face made Henry second guess that. 

“Excellent,” Piper replied. She started back towards the stairs.   
“Uh, Piper? Aren’t you forgetting something?” Henry said as he still tried to pry his boots off the floor, knowing it was no use. Piper had already made it to the second step and she let out a groan and rolled her eyes as she turned around to face Henry again.

“Ugh! Fine,” she said, and with a wave of her hand, pink sparkling smoke swirled around Henry’s feet, dissipating after only a few seconds. To Henry’s relief, he had full control of his legs again, and with that, he snuck out the front door and on to meet Jasper at the Pixie Crystal River. 

* * *

The Pixie Crystal River was situated in the forest right in between the kingdom of Astoria and the kingdom of Swellville. It was a quaint little place where most of the pixies in the land resided. Lush green grass and dense trees covered the area, with a few mushrooms sprouting up here and there. Instead of water running through the riverbed, multi-colored pixie crystals wove through the ground much like a river would, glowing in beautiful hues of blue, purple, and pink. Jasper was in awe when he first laid eyes on it.

“This place is amazing! It’s so beautiful,” he said as he looked around in wide-eyed wonderment. Jasper wasn’t sure he had ever seen a place so wonderful before. But, then again, he never got out of the shop much.

Henry’s lips curled into a smile. He found Jasper’s amazement somewhat endearing, and he couldn’t help but feel a little excited and happy that he had been the one to introduce this place to him.  

“Isn’t it? Charlotte and I discovered it once when we were playing out here as kids,” Henry explained. Jasper felt a twinge of sadness at the mention of Charlotte.

“Charlotte? As in, Princess Charlotte of Borderith?” Jasper asked, half hoping Henry had actually been talking about some other Charlotte. 

“Yeah, that’s right. She’s one of my oldest friends,” Henry responded, smiling at the memory. Jasper felt another twinge as he tried to conceal his sudden heartache. Everyone in the kingdom knew of Prince Henry and Princess Charlotte’s impending nuptials once the pair both turned twenty-one. 

Little did Jasper know, neither one of them really wanted it. It was true that Charlotte was Henry’s oldest friend, and he loved her an awful lot, but it wasn’t the kind of love where you’d want to get married to the person. They’d both describe it as more like a platonic love or a sibling love. Besides that, Charlotte had a secret long-term girlfriend nobody knew about but Henry: Duchess Anais from another neighboring kingdom. Henry and Charlotte had both tried to talk their parents out of the arranged marriage, but their parents felt that it would be a good way to unify both kingdoms and merge them into one. So, the duo had made a pact; Henry would keep Charlotte’s girlfriend a secret even after they were married and she would do the same, given he ever found someone. 

Henry noticed Jasper’s sudden mood change despite Jasper doing his best to hide it, and Henry’s smile immediately faded. 

“Hey, what’s wrong?” he said softly as he put his hand on Jasper’s shoulder. 

“Nothing. Just tired from work, that’s all,” Jasper lied. Henry nodded, seemingly satisfied with that answer. The twosome sat down on the ground side by side with their backs leaning on a log. They remained in comfortable silence for a while, just listening to the crickets chirp and the occasional chatter of pixies returning to their homes for the night. 

“Hey, thanks for meeting me tonight,” Henry said after a while. Jasper had been gazing up at the stars, but he turned his head in order to look at Henry. 

“Of course,” he said with a genuine smile. Henry smiled back and he could feel the heat rising in his cheeks for a moment as he admired the way Jasper’s eyes were glistening in the moonlight. 

“The coronation...my birthday...it’s all just getting to be too much,” Henry continued as he looked down at the ground. Jasper’s smile immediately faded and was replaced with a look of concern. He continued to watch Henry and remained silent, allowing him to continue to vent if need be. 

Which is exactly what happened. Henry started another one of his spiels about his anxieties of becoming king, most of it boiling down to him not thinking he’s good enough.

“I don’t know the first thing about leading a kingdom!” 

“What if there’s another battle?” 

“What if I can’t live up to my mother’s legacy?” 

“How will I deal with the day to day problems?”

Jasper had remained silent throughout the whole spiel, allowing Henry to get out what he needed to get out.

Henry took a heavy sigh after finishing as he ran his fingers through his hair. 

“I’m sorry. We came here so I could stop thinking about that. Besides, I’ve known you for close to three weeks and I think at least 80% of our time spent together has been me just venting to you like you’re my therapist or something,” Henry said. Jasper chuckled.

“Welllll,” he answered in a high-pitched voice to indicate that Henry wasn’t  _ totally _ wrong, and it was Henry’s turn to chuckle. 

“Let’s talk about you,” Henry suggested. Jasper felt a little uneasy considering he didn’t like to talk about himself too much, but he didn’t protest.

“What about me?” 

Henry thought it over for a moment.

“Do you have any siblings?” 

“Nope. Just me,” Jasper answered. “Although, that’s probably a good thing,” he added, a hint of an upset in his voice. Henry’s forehead furrowed as he titled his head a little. 

“What do you mean?” he questioned. Jasper sighed as he looked down at the ground.

“It’s nothing.” 

Henry placed a gentle hand on Jasper’s arms as he leaned in a little closer to him.   
“Seriously, what is it?” he continued softly. Jasper wasn’t sure what it was about the Prince that made him want to tell him everything; perhaps he felt like he knew him, given that the royal family always tried to make themselves as accessible as possible to the public. Or, maybe it was because Jasper had been infatuated with Henry ever since they were kids, even before he knew him personally. In any case, there was just something about him that made Jasper feel like he could trust him with his best-kept secrets.

“It’s my parents,” Jasper began, “they’re not the best caretakers in the world. To put it lightly. Often times they pretend like I’m not even there. They provide a roof over my head, but that’s about it. I’ve been having to fend for myself from a young age. That’s actually why I got the job at the Blacksmith’s shop. My boss, Ray, caught me stealing food one time right outside his shop, but instead of punishing me, he asked me why I did it. I was honest, and at that point, he offered to show me the tricks of his trade. He really took me in; made sure I was taken care of. He’s been more like a father to me than my actual father ever has.” 

The corner of Henry’s mouth turned up slightly. 

“That’s really nice. I’m glad he could do that for you. It sucks about your parents, though. I can’t imagine what it must have been like to have to find your own food at such a young age.” 

Jasper just shrugged.   


“I did what I had to.” 

Henry felt a twinge of guilt as he thought about Jasper’s story. Henry had been blessed with growing up in a lavish castle with two loving parents, where every meal was like a Thanksgiving feast while Jasper had to steal food just to survive. Just then a thought occurred to him and his eyes widened as he sat up excitedly. 

“Jasper, you’re amazing!” he exclaimed. Jasper blinked for a moment and his heart fluttered, a little taken aback by Henry’s sudden outburst. 

“Um, thank you?” he replied, confused. Henry grabbed Jasper by the shoulders as he looked into his eyes, his lips curling into an eager smile. 

“Seriously, thank you! You just gave me my first official decree as king!” 

* * *

**Meanwhile, deep within the woods...**

Deep within the woods in a run down old cabin, sat a balding man at his desk where various beakers and papers were strewn about. He was mulling over his latest plan when a tall woman with short black hair appeared in the doorway. 

“You rang?” she said smoothly. 

“Yes, Lady Cohort,” he answered. “The time is almost upon us. The boy’s coronation is coming up soon.” 

“Yes, sorcerer,” she replied.  He stood up from his desk and turned to face her, a mischievous and malevolent smile on his face. 

“The minute that boy gets his crown I’m going to take care of him, and finally reclaim what’s rightfully mine. Start getting things ready. It’s time to begin phase one.”


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning, Henry found himself standing on a platform in front of a mirror that covered the whole wall, while two tailors knelt by his feet, placing pins in his navy blue pants. Charlotte was standing on a platform next to him in a gold dress that matched the buttons and epaulets on his jacket, while another tailor was placing pins in her dress. Henry yawned for the millionth time that morning, and Siren looked at him with concern.

“Are you alright, dear? You have dark circles under your eyes,” she asked. Henry gave her a sleepy smile. 

“I’m fine, Mom. Just a little tired,” he answered. Piper snickered.

“What’s the matter, Hen? Stay up too late last night?” she teased, threatening to reveal his nightly excursion to meet Jasper. He shot daggers at his sister, but she just sneered. Siren had a nagging feeling that there was something she was missing here, but she decided to drop the matter.

“Oh, you two are going to look so adorable at your coronation, dear. With your little matching outfits,” she gushed as she clasped her hands in front of her chest, admiring her son and his future bride. Charlotte and Henry exchanged uneasy glances, while they did their best to plaster on fake smiles.

Charlotte’s girlfriend, Duchess Anais, sat behind her hunched at an all too small table for her half-giant figure with Piper, while the pair etched out ideas for Piper’s dress. 

“I think we should make the skirt a little poofier,” Piper suggested as she took the pencil from Anais, “I am a princess after all.” 

“Speaking of my coronation, I’ve been thinking,” Henry stated, “and I think I found my first official decree as king.” 

A grin spread across Siren’s face. 

“That’s wonderful, darling! What is it?” she asked eagerly. This caught the attention of everyone in the room, and now all eyes were on the Prince. Henry cleared his throat, now feeling a little uneasy with all this attention.

“Well, every time we have a meal in this place there’s always an overabundance of food that gets thrown out. I mean, why the cooks decide to make full-on feasts for just the four of us is beyond me. It doesn’t make any sense!” Henry began, but Siren’s face turned serious, signaling for him to get on with it, and Henry swallowed hard as he worked to get back on track.

“So, anyway, I was thinking….we never use the guest house out back, so what if we renovated it and opened it up as a soup kitchen type thing? We can donate all the food we don’t eat, considering it’s just going to get thrown out otherwise.” 

Siren continued to watch her son for a moment, her expression unchanged, and Henry was a little afraid she was going to flat out reject the idea. Finally, her lips curled into a huge grin.

“Honey, that’s a wonderful idea. Your father and I will start working on the plans as soon as possible,” she responded. Henry smiled. Just then, one of the royal family’s butlers appeared in the doorway. 

“Pardon the interruption, Your Majesty, but there is someone here to see the Prince,” he announced. Henry glanced around for a moment, a little confused. Most of the people that came to visit him were already in this room. 

“Um...send them up then, please,” Henry replied, and the man simply bowed slightly in response as he disappeared to go fetch the mystery visitor. Several moments later he reappeared and stepped aside to reveal Henry’s guest, who was holding a long, black box in his hands. 

“Jasper!” Henry exclaimed excitedly as his face lit up like a Christmas tree, and he stepped off the platform to approach him, much to the dismay of the tailors. Jasper sheepishly grinned at Henry. Henry’s enthusiasm and Jasper’s blushing pink cheeks at the sight of Henry did not go unnoticed by Siren. 

“Jasper,” Charlotte and Anais mouthed to each other eagerly before they turned their attention back to the pair. Jasper glanced around the room to see that he was almost entirely surrounded by royalty, save for a few workers, and he suddenly felt out of place and a little intimidated. 

“So,  _ you’re _ the infamous Jasper,” Piper said, her voice a little devious. Henry shot her a serious look as he shook his head a little, signaling for her to keep quiet and to stop insulting his guest.  

“I don’t know if I’d say infamous,” Jasper responded timidly. 

“It’s very nice to meet you, Jasper. We’ve heard so much about you,” Siren said as she gave him her sweetest smile.

“Oh, uh, thank you, Your Majesty. It’s so wonderful to meet you too,” Jasper replied. He then turned his head away from Siren and the rest of the group so that his mouth was right by Henry’s ear. 

“Do I need to bow or something or?” he whispered. Henry did his best to conceal his amusement at Jasper’s question. He subtly shook his head.

“No, you’re good,” he quietly answered back. Jasper turned to look at the room again as he smiled. 

“Yeah, Henry hasn’t shut up about you since you guys met,” Charlotte announced, a playful smile on her face. Henry’s grin immediately faded as he shot her a look, which she ignored. Jasper felt butterflies start to swarm in his stomach at the thought of the Prince talking about him to his friends. 

“And you guys have been spending an awful lot of time together. Isn’t that right?” Piper teased. Henry’s eyes widened as he glared at her, but she just continued to grin. Henry stood there, desperate for someone to change the subject, which Anais quickly picked up on, and she decided to give him an out before it turned into relentless torment. 

“What’s that?” she asked, gesturing to the box in Jasper’s hands. 

“Oh, right,” Jasper said, looking down at the box he had forgotten he was holding. He turned so his body was facing Henry as he opened it up.

“Ta-da!” he exclaimed, revealing Henry’s shiny new sword. Henry’s face lit up as he began to reach into the box. 

“Henry Hart!” Siren snapped, and Henry stopped dead in his tracks, his happy expression swiftly disappearing. “Did you really commission a  _ sword _ ?!” 

Henry winced as he dared to look at his mother, and he saw that she was furious.

“Yes?” he answered softly. 

“Cool! Can I see it?!” Piper exclaimed as she shot up, but Siren held out a hand to stop her.

“Absolutely not! Henry, what were you thinking?! When are you ever going to need a sword?” Siren barked. Henry just shrugged.

“I don’t know. I just thought it would be cool to have one, I guess,” he lied. The truth was, he commissioned it on impulse; he just wanted an excuse to see Jasper again. 

“Oh...uh, don’t worry about this one, Your Majesty. It isn’t meant for wielding, it’s just for show,” Jasper interjected. Siren’s expression softened a bit. 

“Really?” She asked, doubt dripping from her voice. 

“One hundred percent. I even have a mount for it back at the shop. I just couldn’t carry them both,” Jasper continued. Siren still looked skeptical, but Henry could tell she was slowly coming around to the idea. 

“Thank you,” Henry mouthed to Jasper and Jasper winked in return, which sent Henry’s heart into overdrive. 

“Well...I suppose if you aren’t going to wield it…” Siren said, a little more calmly now. 

Since she could tell Henry wasn’t going to get yelled at like she had hoped, Piper quickly grew bored of the conversation and went back to sketching out her coronation dress. 

“I can keep it?” Henry asked eagerly. The Queen crossed her arms over her chest as she exhaled sharply. 

“I suppose,” she replied. Henry and Jasper exchanged excited smiles before Henry went back to admiring the sword. He slowly reached in to grab it, but underestimated how heavy it would be, and once he pulled it out of the box, the metal end clumsily hit the floor with a loud clang. Jasper pushed his lips together and looked down at his feet for a moment, doing his best not to laugh, while Henry’s friends and sister openly made fun of him. 

“Nice move, loser,” Piper said in a mocking tone without looking up from her sketchbook. Anais and Charlotte broke out into a fit of giggles and Henry shot them a look. He gently placed the sword back in the box as he took it from Jasper. 

“Finished!” Piper announced as she looked at her sketch proudly. She set the sketchbook down on the table in front of her, stood up, and took a deep breath. She waved her hands over her, and pink, sparkling smoke began to swirl around her, starting at her feet, and as it moved up, her outfit changed from her usual casual wear, tan pants, a blue long-sleeve shirt and a brown leather vest, to a forest green formal dress. The bottom of the dress was poofed out and reached the ground, while the bodice was covered entirely in silver rhinestones. The very top of the dress and out towards the sleeves was a translucent green material with silver rhinestones scattered about. The pink smoke dissipated once Piper reached her neck, and she looked into the mirror and smiled, satisfied with her creation.

“Oh, honey, you look beautiful,” Siren said, as she admired her daughter’s creation. Jasper turned to Henry, shock plastered on his face.

“Your sister can do magic?! Can you?! Have you been holding out on me?” he interrogated. Henry let out a chuckle.

“No, Piper’s the only one in our family that picked up the ability to do magic. She’s been able to do it since she was five,” Henry answered. He then lowered his voice to make sure his sister wouldn’t be able to hear.

“And she’s pretty powerful too. Sometimes a little  _ too _ powerful.” 

Despite Henry’s best effort, Piper still picked up on his last sentence, and she smiled a little to herself. Jasper just nodded in response, satisfied with Henry’s explanation. 

“So, if she can do that, how come you have to get your clothes tailored?” Jasper questioned. 

“Because using her magic to alter my clothes would be helpful, and god forbid she ever do anything nice for me,” Henry answered, getting a little louder at the last half of the sentence as a hint to Piper, but Piper just ignored it. 

The girls continued to marvel at the dress, while Henry and Jasper fell into an awkward silence.

“Well, I guess I should go now,” Jasper said. 

“Oh….uhh...right. Let me walk you out,” Henry responded as he set the box containing his sword down before he gestured for Jasper to go through the door first. 

“Be right back, Mom. I’m gonna walk Jasper out,” Henry announced before disappearing through the doorway.

“Okay, but hurry back! We need to finish your outfit fitting and then it’s time to look at crowns!” his mother called back, unsure if he was even listening or not. 

Henry led Jasper down a few hallways and down two flights of stairs before they finally made it to the foyer by the front door. Jasper looked around for a moment, marveling at how big the place was. A single table with a vase full of flowers sat in the middle of the room, with a grand crystal chandelier hanging above it. Across from the front door stood the grand staircase, that broke off halfway up into two separate staircases leading to the left and right wings of the castle. After admiring the place for a minute, Jasper finally met Henry’s gaze and they both awkwardly smiled at each other, unsure of what to do next. 

“Well, I guess this is it then,” Jasper said finally, hoping that the Prince would state otherwise. Henry felt his heart ache a little at Jasper’s words. Was this Jasper’s way of saying he didn’t want to spend time together anymore?

“I guess so,” he answered back. Jasper felt his heart sink. The sword had been the excuse they used to see each other, and now that it was done, neither was brave enough to admit that they wanted things to continue.  

Jasper glanced down at his feet as he bit his lower lip for a moment. 

“Well, I’m gonna go then,” he said, jabbing his thumb towards the door. Henry’s heart sunk into his stomach. 

“Okay. I guess I’ll see you around then sometime,” he said. Jasper just nodded, trying to conceal the fact that his heart was shattering into a million pieces. 

“Definitely. I’ll see you around,” Jasper replied before proceeding to open the front door. Right before Jasper closed the front door behind him, Henry spoke.   
“Wait! Are you hungry? Let me buy you lunch as a thank you for the sword.” 

Jasper felt his heart skip a beat.

“Yes! I mean, um, sure. That sounds good,” Jasper responded trying his best to conceal his excitement.

“Great! Let me just go change real quick. Wait here,” Henry said before speeding off up the stairs and to his room. He got changed out of his coronation outfit and into something more casual (well, casual to him anyway; to anyone else it would still be considered formal) before going to the fitting room again and sticking his head in.

“Hey, Mom, I’m gonna go take Jasper out to lunch as a thank you. I’ll be back soon,” Henry declared as he started back towards the foyer before even waiting for his mother to respond. 

“Henry, wait a minute!” Siren called after him as she stood in the doorway, “you have your fitting, remember?!” But it was no use. Her son had already disappeared. Siren shook her head and exhaled sharply as she went back to managing Piper and Charlotte’s fitting. She didn’t like how close her son was getting to this boy; she didn’t like it one bit. 

* * *

Henry took Jasper to a quaint little restaurant in the middle of town, with white tablecloths and tiny candles as the centerpiece. Jasper didn’t want to admit that it was one of the nicest places he had ever been to, and he might even go so far as to say it was a little...romantic too. But, surely that was just a coincidence.

At the end of the meal, Jasper tried to insist on paying for his half, but Henry wasn’t having it. He paid for their meal and ended up paying for everyone else’s meals as well, telling the waiter to put on the royal family’s tab. 

After they had finished, Henry bought them both vanilla ice cream cones from a tiny cart just a few doors down from the restaurant, and now the pair were walking side by side through the marketplace, eyeing the various merchandise at the carts and in the shop windows. 

After a while, Jasper stopped dead in his tracks to admire an object in the toy store window, and Henry had taken a few steps ahead of him before he realized Jasper wasn’t by his side anymore. He turned around and walked back to where Jasper was standing as he looked into the window, trying to see what Jasper was looking at. 

“What is it, what are we looking at?” he asked. Jasper sighed as he finally tore his gaze away. 

“It’s nothing. Let’s just go,” he said as he started to walk away again, but Henry reached out and grabbed his wrist to stop him. Jasper looked down at Henry’s hand now clasped around his wrist before moving his gaze back up to Henry, as he felt a swarm of butterflies invading his stomach once again.

“C’mon, what is it?” Henry questioned. Jasper winced a little as he worked to avoid Henry’s gaze.

“You’re gonna think it’s stupid.” 

Henry took a step closer to Jasper as he moved his head to try to get Jasper to look in his eyes again. 

“I promise I won’t. Just tell me,” he responded gently. Jasper finally locked eyes with Henry again, and he could see that the Prince was being sincere. 

“Do you see that metal bucket in the window?” he asked. Henry turned his attention away from Jasper for a moment to look. 

“Yeah,” he replied before he faced Jasper again, confusion etched on his face. Jasper licked his lips and took a deep breath prior to continuing. 

“Well, I know it’s kinda weird and stupid, but I’ve sort of always really loved buckets. I think they’re cool, and I’ve wanted to start a collection since I was young. I begged and begged my parents to buy me a bucket just like that one, to kind of get the collection started, but they always refused,” Jasper explained. “See? I told you it was stupid,” he said as he looked down at his feet. Henry felt a pang of guilt again as he thought about the mountains of presents and toys his parents had provided for him growing up.

“That’s not stupid,” Henry responded tenderly. Jasper locked eyes with Henry again.

“You don’t think so?” he asked gently. A slow, genuine smile crept across Henry’s face. 

“Not at all.” 

Jasper could feel all the heat rising to his cheeks and he tried to look away so Henry wouldn’t notice. 

“Hey, could you do me a favor real quick?” Henry asked. 

“Sure, anything.” 

“My sister has a necklace on hold at the jewelry store a few doors down from here, would you mind stopping in and getting it for me?” 

Jasper furrowed his eyebrows.

“Why can’t we both do it?”

Henry raised his eyebrows as he frantically searched for an answer. 

“Because….because…” he stuttered out, “because...I have to go to the bakery to talk to them about my….cake for my coronation,” Henry answered quickly, pointing his finger in the direction behind him. Jasper crossed his arms over his chest, clearly not buying Henry’s excuse.

“Okay. So, why can’t we just go to the bakery first and then the jewelry store? Why does this have to be a separate endeavor?” he interrogated. Henry swallowed hard, desperately searching for another excuse.

“Well, because….the jewelry store and the bakery are both gonna close soon. So, that’s why,” Henry responded unconvincingly. Jasper continued to stare at Henry for a moment, trying to figure out why he was suddenly lying. 

“Pretty sure they’re both gonna be open for a  _ few _ more hours considering it’s only four p.m. but alright,” Jasper said as he started walking backward still staring at Henry. Henry gave him his best convincing smile as he waved goodbye and Jasper just rolled his eyes and smiled as he turned around, continuing on to the jewelry store. Henry immediately let out a sigh of relief as he quietly slipped into the toy store.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Jasper met Henry outside of the toy store once again.

“Sorry, Hen, the jewelry store said they didn’t have anything for your sister, and even if they did, they couldn’t give it to me because I don’t work for the royal family,” he said as he met Henry’s gaze. 

“Ah, don’t worry about it. I’ll get it later,” Henry lied, knowing full well that there really was no necklace. Henry had a huge smile on his face and his hands behind his back and Jasper immediately frowned. 

“Why are you looking at me like that?” he asked.  

“I got you something,” he said. Jasper furrowed his eyebrows and smirked as he moved his body towards Henry. 

“At the bakery? I just had ice cream, so I don’t think-” he started, but he stopped once Henry revealed the object in his hand. 

“You got me my bucket?” he asked softly as a jubilant smile crept onto his face and he took it from Henry. Henry felt his heart swell at the joy on Jasper’s face.

“Henry, you’ve already done so much today. I can’t accept this,” Jasper said as he thrust the bucket back towards Henry, but Henry held his hands up to block him. 

“No way! It’s a gift. I’d really like for you to take it.” 

Jasper looked down at the bucket and back up at Henry. 

“Well, at least let me pay you back,” he insisted, but Henry just shook his head. 

“Nuh uh! You don’t pay someone back for a gift!” 

Jasper smiled a little as he continued to admire his new bucket. 

“Thank you,” he said sincerely as he smiled at Henry. Henry thought his heart might burst.

“Now you can finally start that collection.” 

The pair began to walk again in comfortable silence as they made their way to the Blacksmith’s shop. As they reached the door, that same sinking feeling they felt in the castle foyer overcame them both.

“So, I guess this is it,” Jasper said softly as he looked down at his new bucket, trying to conceal his heartache.    
“I suppose it is,” Henry said. They looked into each other's eyes for a moment, both of them desperately hoping the other would be brave enough to say that this wasn’t the end. Suddenly, the door swung open to reveal a burly man with dark hair. 

“There you are! You told me you were just going out to make a delivery, but you’ve been gone all afternoon!” he exclaimed. 

“Sorry, Ray. Henry and I sort of lost track of time,” Jasper said sheepishly. Ray’s attention then turned to the Prince. 

“Ahh...the delivery was to Henry. I should’ve known. You’re the only one that ever hijacks my employee,” Ray said sharply. Jasper’s eyes widened at Ray’s harsh tone. He couldn’t believe his boss was really talking to the Prince like that. 

“Ray!” Jasper cried, but Henry just shook his head.

“No, he’s right! Sorry, Ray,” Henry said sincerely. Ray just gave Henry a wry smile. 

“C’mon, Jasper, let’s go,” he said as he gestured for Jasper to follow him inside. 

“Can you just give us one more minute? Please?” Jasper begged. Ray looked between both boys, their eyes pleading, and he let out a sharp breath. 

“Ugh, fine! You have one minute! But, hurry up! You still have work to do, and the sun’s gonna go down soon,” and with that, the door shut with Ray disappearing behind it. Jasper turned his attention to Henry again as they both stayed in an awkward silence. 

“I better get inside before he comes back,” Jasper said as he jabbed his thumb towards the door. 

“Yeah, I better be getting home too. I still have a lot of coronation prep to do, and I’m sure my mother is furious by now.” 

More awkward silence.

“Well, I hope I see you around sometime,” Henry said softly, shrugging. Jasper nodded. 

“Yeah! Hopefully!” Jasper responded. 

More silence. 

“Okay,” Henry declared, and with that, he turned around and started back towards the marketplace in the direction of the castle. Jasper watched him go for a minute, hoping with all of his might that Henry would just turn around. But, he didn’t. He just kept walking, and Jasper finally admitted defeat and went inside when Henry had completely disappeared from view. 

Ever since he had taken that first step away from the shop, Henry’s mind and body were screaming at him to turn around and tell Jasper that this wasn’t it. He kept thinking about how stupid and unnecessary it was that they were both willing to give up the friendship they built just because they didn’t have a viable excuse to see each other outside of just wanting to see each other for the sake of it. He sincerely debated turning around several times, but he was too afraid that Jasper would reject him. Maybe Jasper really wasn’t his friend, and he was just being friendly because Henry was a customer. Maybe he actually saw Henry as sort of nuisance, and he was secretly happy that their interactions were coming to an end. After all, at least half the time Henry spent with Jasper, Henry was complaining about how scared he was of becoming king. Henry would probably get irritated after a while too if the tables had been turned. 

* * *

When Henry finally reached the castle, he swung the front door open to find a furious Siren.

“Henry Hart, do you know what time it is?! There is still so much that needs to get done today! You don’t just walk out like that without permission, especially when we’re in the middle of something-” Siren began, but Henry soon tuned her out. His mind kept wandering back Jasper, but now instead of feeling butterflies at the thought, all he felt was heartache. 

* * *

A few days passed, and try as he might, Henry couldn’t stop thinking about the boy in the Blacksmith’s shop. He tried to focus on his coronation planning, but something would always trigger a memory he had with Jasper. After three days of not seeing him, Henry was lying awake once again, thinking about how ridiculous it was that they stopped communicating, just like that. He tossed and turned for hours, but just like the nights previous, his mind kept racing, preventing sleep. Finally, in the middle of the night, he decided enough was enough.

“This is so stupid,” he mumbled to himself as he threw the covers off himself. He got up and grabbed a jacket, not even bothering to change out of his pajamas as he snuck down the hallway and out the front door. 


End file.
